India vs West Indies, 1st T20I - Live Cricket Score, Commentary

Series: India v West Indies in USA, 2016 Venue: Central Broward Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground, Lauderhill, Florida Date & Time: Aug 27, 10:00 AM LOCAL

Can India manage a successful switch from Test cricket to the shortest format? © Cricbuzz

For the first time in recent weeks, an India vs West Indies contest has the latter going in as favourites. The MS Dhoni-led Indian team gear up for their first international game on US soil when they face off against the Caribbean side in the first of two Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) at the Central Broward Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground in Lauderhill, Florida.

Coach Anil Kumble had no qualms in admitting that it won't be a walk in the park for India against the current World T20 champions, who have a squad filled with players fresh from the Caribbean Premier League (CPL). Apart from Dhoni, Jasprit Bumrah is the only other player to join the Indian T20 squad, while the rest of the 12 members are the ones who recently featured in the four-Test series in the West Indies. What remains to be seen is how quickly can those players shed off their Test cloak and don the one required for the slam-bang format of cricket.

On the other hand, West Indies have a squad filled with players who came up with good performances during the recently-concluded CPL. They will be eager to extend their fine form and live up to the tag of the 'team to beat' - as West Indies coach Phil Simmons insisted.

Meanwhile, the T20I series between the two sides ushers a new beginning for cricket in the United States of America. With a fair number of Asian Indians and people of Caribbean ethnicity present in the US, and cricket-starved crowds waiting to see more action, one can expect a big turnout at the only ICC-approved venue in US, when the weekend bonanza kicks off.

: @DJBravo47's stunning catch at third-man in the first @paytm T20 that resulted in Ajinkya Rahane's wicket.

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"Nine (eight) runs to go, I said nothing to lose. In a situation like this I really like to test my skills, I really enjoy it. Really happy to come out on top. I had one chance against MS, I had to make sure that I didn't concede a boundary off the first ball. Once they don't get boundaries, the pressure goes on them. I used my two important balls, the slower ball and yorker to good effect. The chat was, knowing MS, I would know he would play the safer shot and try to take the game to the Super Over. I knew he was going to target mid-wicket, so I put in the short mid-wicket. I actually didn't want to bowl a slower ball, but I saw Dhoni moving across and that is when I decided to bowl the slower on at the last moment. The crowd was fantastic," said Bravo of his tactics, which helped West Indies pull off a heist.

Dhoni: "I think it was an amazing game. I could not have expected anything more from the batting unit. The last ball, the thinking was right but execution was not. When it came to bowling, the last eight overs were good. That was the main thing (talking about the Indian run-rate during the chase), if you are too much behind, the run-rate starts going beyond 15. What really helps in that scenario is that as the lower order comes to bat, you are still in the chase. Fantastic (talking about the crowd), wherever we go, we have our fans. The result in our favour would have been perfect."

Brathwaite: "Yeah, when I spoke to Dwayne [Bravo], he told me he was gonna bowl a slower ball. I am backing you (is what I told him), but in my head I am thinking, 'slower ball?'. Yeah, Bravo is a champion. He always steps up. Never shies away from the challenge. Kudos to the curator for preparing such a wicket. Even the outfield is brilliant as well. And then after, Charles and Evin Lewis. Lewis (the Man of the Match) was told at the last moment that he was in the team. It was a tremendous effort. If we talk about criticism myself and the lower order did not finish the game. We could have got to 250-260. Thanks for the support (from the crowd). We never go easy, thankfully we came on top this time."

In what was an exhilarating T20I, India fell agonisingly short in their debut international game in the USA. However, they have a chance to bounce back tomorrow when the teams take the field again for the second and final game of the series. See you then!